Tongue-supporter.



H. A. IOHNSON & V. J. PEARSON.

ToNGuE suPPoRTER APPLICATlON FILED FEB. 2, 1915.

Patented June 8, 1915.

A TTOH/VEYS 0.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTUN, D, C,

. to become sore. The necks ofthe draft ani! HARRY ALMET JOHNSON .ANDVICTOR JEBIHABJD PEAB/SON, 0F PIPER CITY, ILLINOIS.

ToNeuE-surronraa.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patentes. June s, 1915.

Application led February 2, 1915. f Serial No, 5,663.

horizontal position during use, to relieve the necks of the draftanimals from thev weight of the tongue, and whereinthe mechanism is soarranged that the tongue may be quickly released from the supporter orconnected therewith to permit the free end of the tongue to rest uponthe ground when the wagon is not in use, thus relieving the'supporter ofthe weight of the tongue 'when the wagon is idle.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side View of part of a wagon providedwith the im-` proved supporter, and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sections on thelines 2 2, 3 3 and 4 4, re-

spectively, of Fig. 1, each -looking in the direction of the arrowsadjacent to the line.

As is known, with the ordinary wagon tongue the horses carrythe weighton their collars, and such weight very frequently causes. the tops ofthe necks `of the horses mals are also subjected to continual shock andjar when the wagon is in motion.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with thetongue 1` of a wagon, the tongue having the usual doubletrees 2,connected to the tongue by the bolt and nut 3, the said bolt passingdownwardly through the doubletree and the tongue and being engaged bythe nut below the tongue. i The tongue is connected to the `front axle 4by means of a frame consisting of parallel longitudinally extending barsor hounds 5, connected at their rear ends by upper and lower crossplates 6, the

saidplates being above and below the reach 50 bar 7 of the wagon. Y

The axle 4, thebolster 8 and the reach bar 7 are pivoted to each otherby the king bolt 9, the said bolt passing downwardly through thebolster, the axle and the reach bar, and being engaged by a nut 10 belowthe axle. The tongue isconnected to the front ends of the longitudinalbars 5 by means of a bolt 11, the said bolt being passed through theforward ends of the bars 5, through the tongue 1, and through the braces12, arranged on opposite sides of the tongue and engagingthe boltsbetween the rear end of the tongue and the front ends of the bars 5. Thebolt 11 is engaged by a nut 13 to hold the parts in place, and it willbe evident that the tongue mayv swing vertically on the bolt. The braces12 are connected to the tongue in front of the bolt 11 by other bolts orpins 14. v

The supporting mechanism comprises a latch in the form of a rod 15,having its forward end flapping laterallv. and shaped to form a catch 16and a cam surface 17, ad v jacent to the catch and in front ofthe same,

the catch being at the rear end of the cam surface. The rear end of therod 15 is threaded, andis lpassed through an angular f lug l18 on aplate 19, pivoted at its rear end on the king bolt 9, between the reachbar and the upper portion of the axle. Nuts 20 are threaded on to therod on opposite sides of the lug, and it will be evident that by movingthev nuts the distance of the catch in front of the axle may be varied.

The catch is adapted to engage a pin 21, which connects the upperinwardly offset ends 22a of a pair of plates 2 2, arranged on oppositesides of the tongue and extending above and belowV the same, the saidplates having openings through which the bolt 11 passes. The latch atits front end passes between the inwardly offset portion 22a of theplates 22, and since the 'latch is below the pin 21 it could not becomedisengaged from the plate. A V-coil spring 23 is arranged between thelatch and an eye 24 on the bolster andthe spring acts normally to liftthe latch and to hold the same in engagement with thepin 21. The plates22 are held at an exact right angle with respect to the tongue, by meansofan eye bolt 25, and a flexible member 26. The eye bolt has the eyereceived between the lower ends of theplates 22, and engaged with a bolt27 that connects the plates atl this point. The bolt extends forwardlythrough the eye of an eye bolt 28, which is passed vertically throughthe tongue from below upward, and which holds the reinforcing plate 29for the bolt 3 at' its rear end, the front endof the said plate engagingthe bolt 3 above the doubletree.

The flexible member 26 engages at its front end a hook 3a, formed on theupper end of the bolt 3, and above the head thereof and the rear end ofthe flexible member engages a pin 80, which connects lthe upper ends ofthe inwardlyl offset portions of the plates 22. A coil spring 26a isinterposed in the length of the flexible member 26, and a iexible member3l is arranged between the front end of the latch and the boltQS. Therear end of the flexible member -engages an opening in the latch, whilethe front end is connected to the bolt.

The operation of the improvement islas follows z--VVhen the driverhitches his draft animals he will raise the tongue, and as the tongue israised the pin 16 will move over the cam surface 17 of the latch,depressing the front end of the latch slightly against .the resistanceof the spring 23. The pin will passy over the inclined surfaceand willslip behind the catch. When now the tongue is released, the weightthereof .is supported by the latch.

Y drop and to be supported by the draft ani` mals.

lllhen driving downthe driveway, the supporting mechanism willautomatically engage as soon as the horses reach the level ground, forthe free end ofthe tongue will be lifted, thus engaging the latch withthe pin. Turning of the wagon will not affect the supporting mechanismfor the latch cannot move laterally with respect to the plates, and thelatch turnswith the axle, holding always thus its long axis parallelwith the long axis of the tongue.

The supporting mechanism isbelow the bottom of the bed 32 of the wagon,and is entirely outside of the said bed, so that it does not interferewith the load in the wagon bed. A serious defect in the ordinary form oftongue supporters which are fastened on the wagon bed is that in turningthe mechanism does not pull in a direct line with the wagon bed butexerts a sidewise pull on the front end of the wagon box, which tends tostrain and rack the wagon.

The mechanism requires no changes in the body or bed of the wagon, andthe support cannot injure the box or bed, since it is not attachedthereto. rilhe device works as well with the bed removed as when the bedis in place, for as before stated, it is connected with the running gearand not with the bed. Hence the mechanism interferes in no way with theremoval or replacement of the bed and the bed is not marred in any wayby attaching mechanism. Neither is the tongue or running gear of thewagon weakened in any manner.

le claim l. A wagon tongue supporter, comprising in combination with theruiming gear and the tongue connectedtherewith, plates arranged onopposite sides of the tongue at its pivotal connection with the runninggear, means vin connection with the plates and the tongue for holdingthe saidv plates at right angles to the tongue, a latch connected at oneend to the king bolt of the wagon and extending forwardly between theplates above the tongue, a pin connecting the plates above the latch,said latch having at its front enda cam surface for engaging the y pinto depress the latch when the pin is moved rearwardly with respect tothelatch, the latch having a catch at the rear of the cam surfacel forengaging the pin, a flexible connection between the tongue ,and thelatch for depressing the latch when the tongue is depressed belowr acertain predetermined point with respect to the running gear, and ayielding connection between thelatch and the running v,gear for normallyholding the latch in parallel position.

2. A wagon tongue supporter, comprising in combination with the runninggear and the tongue connected therewith, plates arranged-,on oppositesides-of the tongue at its pivotalconnection with the running gear,means in` connection with the plates and the tonguev for-holding thesaid plates at right angles to the tongue, a latch connected at one endto the king cbolt of `the Wagon and extending forwardly between theplates above the tongue, a pinconnecting .the plates above the latch,said latch having at; its front end a cam surface for engaging lthe pinto depress the latch when the pin is moved rearwardly with-respect tothe latch, thelatch having: ay catch atthe; rear ofthe cam sur- `,facefor enga-gingthe pin, and a flexible connection between thetongue andthelatch for depressing the latch when the tongue is depressed below acertain predetermined point with respect to the running gear.

3. A wagony tongue supporter, comprising in combination with thekrunning, gear and thel tongue connected therewith, a pair of platesarranged :on opposite sidesy of the tongue at the pivotal connection,means for normally holding the plates at a right angle to the tongue,said means .being mounted to yield, a latch connected to the king boltand extending forwardly between vthe plates above the tongue, a pinconnecting the plates above the latch, said latch having a cam surfaceat its front ends for engaging the pin to depress the free end of thelatch, and having a catch at the rear of the cam surface for engagingthe pin to hold the tongue elevated, a connection between the latch andthe tongue for depressing the free end thereof when the free end of thetongue is lowered beyond a predetermined point.

4. A wagon tongue supporter, comprising in combination with the runninggear and the tongue connected therewith, a pair of plates arranged onopposite vsides of the tongue at the pivotal-connection, means fornormally holding the plates at a right angle to the tongue, a latchconnected to the king bolt and extending forwardly between the platesabove the tongue, a pin connecting the plates above the latch, saidlatch having a cam surface at its front ends for engaging the pin todepress the free end of the latch, and having a catch at the rear of thecam surface for engaging the pin to hold the tongue elevated.

5. A wagon tongue supporter, comprising in combination with the runninggear and the tongue pivoted thereto, a resilient latch connected to therunning gear of the wagon and turning with the front axle, a pinconnected to the tongue for engagement by the p ing the latch when thefree end of the tongue is lowered below a predetermined point, the latchhaving a cam surface for engagement by the pin when the tongue is liftedto depress the latch and to guide the latch into engagement with thepin.

6. A Wagon tongue supporter, comprising in combination with the runninggear of a wagon and the tongue pivoted, thereto, a latch on the runninggear, a catch in connection with the tongue for engagement by the latch,means in connection with the latch and the catch for guiding the catchinto engagement with the latch when the free end of the tongue islifted, and a connection between the tongue and the latch for releasingthe latch when the free end of the tongue is depressed below apredetermined oint.

p HARRY ALMET JOHNSON.

VICTOR JERHARD PEARSON. Witnesses:

M. H. Scor'r, F. H. SCOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of. Patenti, Washington, D. G.

